Organiser: Flemish Agency for Nature and Forest
The Flemish Government designated in 2002 the Hoge Kempen National Park. Inspired by this new concept of regional development based on the natural heritage and its bottom-up approach, regions and local stakeholders all over Flanders launched initiatives to establish nature parks and national parks. To create a consistent network of national parks and to guarantee financing, a legal framework was created, including selection criteria and quality standards for the ecological value, ambitions, policy and governance.
In 2021, the Flemish ministers for environment, tourism and heritage launched a call for candidate National Parks. About 2 years later, 4 National Parks were designated by the Flemish government. In the meantime, the National Parks have been legally enshrined in the Flemish legislation.
Using this example of innovative leadership, we would like to reflect how a densely populated, urbanised region could create political leverage for nature restauration in combination with regional development in such a short period of time. Through some testimonies, we will demonstrate how each of these National Parks were shaped using a bottom-up and participative approach: a coalition of local partners, supported by the government.
Participants will get a thorough insight into the process that has been enrolled in Flanders to create 4 national parks, as well as the lessons learned during the intensive two-year process. In a panel debate we want to reflect on the work delivered so far, the lessons for the international community of nature conservationists and the future challenges. We end the session with a Q&A with the audience.
After the session, the participants are kindly invited to continue the discussion at an exclusive dinner reception.
Speakers:
 Dries Desloover is an environmental engineer specialized in nature conservation and land management who has worked for the Flemish Government since 2003, covering topics such as ecosystem services, habitat restauration, reforestation. Last four years Dries has coordinated the enrolment of the national park policy in Flanders. Currently he is a deputy director at the Flemish Agency for Nature and Forests, and acts as the Focal Point Natural World Heritage UNESCO for Flanders-Belgium. |
 Nele Lijnen is a prominent Belgian politician and entrepreneur with a strong focus on community engagement and environmental sustainability. Serving as the Deputy Mayor of Hechtel-Eksel since 2013, she plays a vital role in promoting this municipality, which is renowned as the greenest in Flanders. Lijnen is deeply involved in various initiatives aimed at fostering local economic growth and sustainable tourism, such as the well-known "Cycling through the Trees" experience in Bosland National Park. Her efforts have contributed to the park's recognition as a National Park, highlighting her commitment to balancing ecological conservation with community development. Previously, Lijnen served in the Belgian Federal Parliament from 2006 to 2019, where she championed innovative ideas such as a basic income, which she elaborated on in her book *Win for Life*. In addition to her political career, she is an entrepreneur, founding "You Talk" to empower individuals in public speaking, drawing from her extensive experience in politics and advocacy. Her contributions continue to shape both the local and national landscapes. |
 Jan Horemans is educated as an engineer specialized in polymer chemistry. |
 Sébastien Carbonnelle has a master's degree in Journalism and Communication, and diplomas in Political Sociology and Forestry-Environment. He has devoted over 20 years to the profession of nature guide, both as an employee and as a freelancer. As an active member of several nature reserves’ managment commissions, nature think-tanks, and of IUCN WCPA (World Commission on Protected Areas), and as trainer and lecturer for various associations and institutions, Sébastien is an influential figure in the field of nature conservation and environmental education in Wallonia. He was ministry adviser from 2020 to 2024, where he was in charge of several topics related to forests and biodiversity, including protected areas, and where he initiated the National park process for the Wallonian Governement. |
 Hans Van Dyck is professor of behavioural ecology and conservation at the Earth & Life Institute of the Belgian University of Louvain-la-Neuve. Among other matters, he lectures behavioural ecology, landscape ecology and evolutionary applications. His research mainly addresses our eco-evolutionary understanding of winners and losers among wild animals under human-induced rapid environmental change. Van Dyck is an active thinker and communicator on biodiversity issues to policy makers and the general public. He was a member of the jury that evaluated the candidacies for National Parks in Flanders. |